It has been rumored that Apple is planning to launch an upgraded iPad Pro this 2018. Aside from the next-gen tablet mimicking the design of the iPhone X, nothing else was confirmed about the possible changes from the current iPad Pro model. Based on the latest report, however, the Cupertino-based tech giant is expected to unveil a new 11-inch iPad Pro variant at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) this June.
According to the Taiwan-based online publication Economic Daily News, Apple is set to launch an upgraded iPad Pro hardware at the WWDC 2018. Although, the focus could be on the all-new 11-inch tablet. It appears that this new size variant is actually the upgraded 10.5-inch iPad Pro, but due to the changes in the screen, the total display size was made to increase by about half an inch. In spite of this slight adjustment in size, the physical size of the tablet is not affected. To note, the iPhone X looks to be the larger phone compared to the iPhone 8 Plus with its 5.8-inch screen, although the latter still has a bigger physical build.
Some important details regarding the iPad Pro 2018 might have been missed due to the loose English translation of the report, which was originally written in Chinese. For now, the report seems to support the idea that the updated iPad Pro will sport an almost all-screen display with slimmer bezels and no home button, much like the iPhone X. Aside from the 11-inch tablet, Apple is also set to showcase an upgraded 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
The report also claims that the iPad Pro 2018 will be powered by the faster and more efficient eight-core Apple A11X chipset. This is the same Apple processor tipped by Rosenblatt Securities' tech analyst Jun Zhang last month. Interestingly, Zhang's prediction also states that the next-gen iPad Pro will adopt the iPhone X design and hardware features, particularly the image sensors required for the Face ID system. With the Touch ID gone due to the removal of the home button, the iPad Pro 2018 is expected to rely on facial recognition to unlock the device.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also predicted earlier that the iPad Pro 2018 would follow the iPhone X's lead in sporting a more radical design. However, it is not clear if Apple will also bring the iPhone X's signature notch to the iPad.
